Nicole Kidman and Zac Efron last played lovers 12 years ago in popular crime drama The Paperboy, but sadly they failed to make the same impact in their big romantic return to screens.
Kidman and Efron do their best to heat things up in Netflix’s highly-anticipated May-December rom-com A Family Affair, but the result is a lukewarm romance.
Efron takes on the role of vain movie star Chris Cole, while Kidman plays writer Brook Harwood, who is the mother of his long-suffering assistant Zara (Joey King).
Chris and Brook are paired together on a chance encounter, much to Zara’s horror, but after a steamy start, their on-screen chemistry quickly cools..
After the gripping age-gap triumph that was Anne Hathaway and Nicholas Galitzine’s The Idea of You, A Family Affair fails to live up to the same standards, and not even Nicole’s star quality can save this streaming exclusive.
The film, directed by Richard LaGravenese, begins by focusing on the tense dynamic between the vain Chris and his long-suffering assistant Zara, who grows increasingly tired of his ridiculous requests.
He asks her to get him the “breakup” earrings he always gives to women he’s about to leave, and threatens to fire her for every little mistake.
In the end, Zara, exasperated, throws in the towel..
Nicole Kidman and Zac Efron last played lovers 12 years ago, but sadly they failed to make the same impact in their big romantic return to screens in A Family Affair.
Chris and Brook fall into a somewhat drunken relationship, much to the horror of their daughter Zara, but after a steamy start, their on-screen chemistry quickly cools.
While trying to rehire Zara, Chris meets her widowed mother, Brook, a celebrated writer, and they soon find themselves in a bind.
They begin dating and suddenly Chris’s vanity and superficiality evaporate when the love of an older woman magically erases all of his negative character traits..
While it has all the hallmarks of a Hollywood romantic comedy, the delivery leaves much to be desired, as the lovers’ dynamic quickly becomes clichéd and insufferable..
While the trailer promises steamy sex scenes and plenty of romance, the final product isn’t the mature romance Netflix viewers have grown accustomed to.
Spoiler alert: It’s actually just a chance encounter and some kissing. Anyone who’s watched multiple seasons of Bridgerton will be left woefully unsatisfied..
With only a few compelling romantic moments, their chemistry falls flat at the end of the first act, and Chris’ transformation from airhead to gentleman in the blink of an eye feels like it was clumsily inserted into the script.
Efron takes on the role of vain movie star Chris Cole, while Kidman plays writer Brook Harwood, who is the mother of his long-suffering assistant Zara (Joey King).
After the gripping age-gap triumph of Anne Hathaway and Nicholas Galitzine’s The Idea of You (pictured), A Family Affair doesn’t quite live up to the same standards.
The film also suffers from the focus on Zara as the disgruntled assistant and indignant daughter, when presumably most viewers are tuning in for a love story..
A clever script would have simplified things and made the story revolve around a widow searching for true love, which leads her into the arms of a younger man.
But what A Family Affair offers is only half a romance; the other half is about… The insufferable dynamic of obsession with success between Chris and Zara.
When a family bond blossoms over Christmas, there’s a glimmer of hope that A Family Affair can embrace the cozy rom-com feel, but then a heated argument breaks out and we’re once again left disappointed..
Viewers who have already seen The Idea of You won’t be able to resist comparing the two, and A Family Affair pales in comparison to its rival.
The film suffers from the focus on Zara as the disgruntled assistant and indignant daughter, when presumably most viewers are tuning in for a love story.
Kidman could have easily shined in this role, but was limited by a series of comic clichés and tired romantic tropes.
While single mom Solene and boy band heartthrob Hayes Campbell captured hearts with their sexy and endearing story, Chris and Brook lack the same charm.
Kidman could have easily shined in this role, but was limited by a series of comic clichés and tired romantic tropes.
Despite all the hype, this one deserves to go straight from the Netflix top 10 to the bottom of the digital offerings list.
